Group items tagged

Several good video-articles on why teach with project-based learning from Edutopia, the George Lucas Foundation.

These are three ways to hear from students what they think about the class and how things are going for them. Well worth consideration as alternative assessment procedures. From Vicki Davis on Edutopia

A 6-step process for planning a prject with middle-school children (ages 10-13).

This short article and video indicate several ways that virtual education can be superior: from college prep work that could not be offered in a local high school to inner city schools where it's hard to keep teachers on site, from far-flung rural homes to over-crowded schools. The entry of online-courseware entrepreneurs, who sell curricula to school districts, is also changing the education game. Might there really be a chance to change the industrial assembly line version of education?

This pdf has some good ways to check for understanding while in the process of reading a longer work.

"I was reminded that good coaching is not about dynamic coaches serving as heroic educators, but rather stems from the simple habits of connecting teachers to resources and asking them reflective questions." Excellent tips for helping teachers become better educators. Very specific, with helpful personal anecdotes.

Lots of quick ways to enhance your own professional development through online tools, film festivals, and PLNs. All About Twitter, un-conferencing, resources, etc.

"I have found that many who dream of online learning somehow imagine a virtual school where the teachers are no more than those who load up the assignments and set up the learning management system. But by taking actual teaching out of the distance learning equation, we are dooming distance learning to mere correspondence course status." An interesting blog post on the need for teacher-student interactions in the world of online learning. But I would hasten to add that it doesn't have to be f2f or blended -- it could be in a video conferenced setting as well.

These are great tips for organizing content-based learning especially. Sound pedagogical advice for sharing responsibility, focusing on process rather than right answers, and using creativity to solve processes.

Offers 4 different tools than can help you and students with video and Web work: Scrible to annotate electronic texts lets students work collaboratively and teachers can use annotations for formative assessment and comments; VideoAnt lets you use video as texts to timestamp video for access later, type up notes in a sidebar, and share annotations; Kaizena Shortcut is a Google extension that allows detailed feedback, and can also be used for recordings; EDPuzzle lets teachers create lessons for instructional videos like Khan Academy and give feedback on students progress. These all sound worth a try.

"This list of five things that you may not know about QR codes contains some simple ideas that definitely pack a punch. These tips include strategies for differentiating instruction, distributing materials, and keeping families up to date on classroom activities. If you've tried one of these QR tips or have another to add to the list, the comments section of this post is the perfect place to share!"

"Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work."

A short video on PBL. Also links to an introductory aritlce and a longer video. Interview with Papert included.

"Edutopia's curated compilation of online resources for understanding and beginning to implement project-based learning." A great list of resources to define and clarify what PBL is, examples of projects, and tips from teachers who use PBL.

Great resources for planned and executing project-based learning in your school: "According to Edutopia, studies have shown that students who use project-based learning remember the material much longer and have healthier attitudes toward education. "Project-based learning is based on the idea that students learn best by tackling and solving real world problems. Students are much more engaged with the subject matter and look to the teacher as more of a coach who guides them through their own reflections and ideas. Project-based learning often involves students working in pairs or groups, thus facilitating a deeper understanding of cooperation and communication in solving problems."

"I was recently in a third grade classroom and was struck by the presence of rules that were posted for how to have a conversation. The poster said, "Each person must contribute to the discussion but take turns talking. Ask each other, 'Would you like to add to my idea?' or 'Can you tell us what you are thinking?' Ask questions so that you understand each other's ideas. Say, 'Can you tell me more about that?' or 'Can you say that in another way?'" "Having visited many middle and high schools, I think these same rules could -- and probably should -- be posted there as well. " How important the rules of conversation are! We all too often expect our students to "get into groups and discuss," but how often are these productive conversations? These tips/strategies are well worth practicing at the beginning of every year/semester, and not just with young learners. These tips are also a nice practice for EFL/ESL students as they prepare to speak with native speakers.

Ways for younger students to start tinkering with programming language, including "Move the Turtle," from the old LOGO, Symour Papeert, and Apple IIe days. Some are apps for mobile devices.

"Developing questions that align with the ubiquitously misused New Bloom's Taxonomy -- starting a discussion with recall questions and stair-stepping through the rest until higher order prompts are dispatched -- has been sold as a pathway to cognitive vigor. Observe how many classrooms have Bloom's Taxonomy posted on the back wall for the teacher to reference. Over-reliance on question hierarchies can result in conversations that are irrelevant to the content and context of the learning environment, and invite answers that nobody cares about. " Quality whole-class discussion, rather than recitation/quiz type discussion is possible with good teacher training.

"Keeping students captivated and ready to learn throughout the year is no small task. Here's a list of articles, videos, links, and other resources that offer strategies and advice for retaining their attention." This is an interesting set of links to explore on how and why students become engaged in the learning process.

A wide variety of technologies are used to spark interest in science and math. Tips include use of video and video-editing software; games; Voki avatars, etc. Part of a very nice series for content-based learning.